Using Hardware, Software, and Peopleware to Plan Your Scientific Journey

February 7-11, 2026

Thomas Michael Menino Convention & Exhibition Center (MCEC)

Boston, MA, USA

Using Hardware, Software, and Peopleware to Plan Your Scientific Journey

Laboratory automation is revolutionizing every aspect of science by streamlining workflows, improving data quality and usage and increasing productivity. Successful laboratory automation involves people collaborating with hardware, software and each other to continuously adapt to dynamic scientific, technological and organizational structures. In this course, we will explore together how hardware, software and people each contribute to the success of laboratory automation projects that range in size and scope, while noting the challenges that may arise when each of them work at cross-purposes.

Who Should Attend?

Senior Management
Laboratory, Quality, and IT/OT Managers
Staff Scientists
Automation Engineers
Procurement Personnel

Course Benefits

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

Define actionable and appropriate goals for a laboratory automation project in line with laboratory automation’s cogent trichotomy
Create laboratory automation project teams and align team members to maximal effect
Evaluate laboratory automation hardware for present and future utility
Assess the functionality of software to go beyond mere scheduling to support wider automation ecosystems

Course Topics

Defining laboratory automation in terms of human benefit; namely reduced risk of errors, cost savings, safer workspace, increased productivity and output, decreased experiment and project cycle times, and increased integration and opportunity for customization
Gaining automation team alignment in terms of
- Technology options, budget, and space
- Different but not divergent skillsets
- Best practices to achieve scientific and performance outcomes
- Project goals, timelines, and metrics
- Fixing on milestone deliverables while adapting to change
- Setting and communicating expectations across your organization
Integrating some of the many types of laboratory instruments available into your automated workflows, and the (dis)advantages of each
Building in modularity to adapt to an ever-changing scientific landscape
Evaluating software that, when judiciously chosen and implemented, allows the harnessing of essential data to make better decisions faster, with greater actionable insight and visibility

Instructors

Jon Mole
Senior Regional Sales Manager, US Northeast
HighRes Biosolutions

Jon Mole has been with HighRes Biosolutions since 2016, and manages Sales and Business Development in the MA region – responsible for identifying and developing new business opportunities through close collaboration with a wide range of existing customers, new accounts and industry partners.

Mole has over 20 years’ experience in lab automation, software and services, with roles including applications specialist, product manager, distributor management, sales and business development.

From an academic background in Chemistry (University of Bath, UK) Mole has been in the pharma/biotech industry since 2002 and has led the design, sale and deployment of hundreds of different automated systems worldwide to a diverse range of customers including major pharma, small biotechs, regulatory agencies, academia and CROs – serving a broad spectrum of application areas including high throughput screening, analytical chemistry, compound management, cellular biology, genomics and formulation development.

Christopher Riley
Project Management Senior Manager
HighRes Biosolutions

Christopher R. Riley is a seasoned professional with a background in project management and chemical engineering. He currently holds the role of Sr. Manager of Project Management at HighRes Biosolutions in Beverly, Massachusetts. In this role, Christopher is accountable for overseeing the testing and installation of automated platforms and instrumentation at customer sites across the world, ensuring successful execution of projects, customer satisfaction, and internal team dynamics.

Riley holds a Bachelor’s degree in Analytical Chemistry and Biology from Georgia Southern University and a Master’s in Chemical Engineering from the University of Mississippi. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to his work. He has held positions at organizations, such as Harvard University, Pall Corporation, Shire, Baxter, Merck, where he has contributed his leadership and technical expertise to various projects. He has also published work in the field of chemistry and chemical engineering.

Daniel Hayes
Senior Automation Engineer
Beam Therapeutics

Marie Katz
Scientist
Valo Health

Crystal McKinnon
Principal Customer Success Specialist
HighRes Biosolutions

Steven Watters
Sr. Director of Global Sales